1996 Buick Skylark Electrical Problems

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 BUICK SKYLARK. ALL OF THE GAUGES ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WERE FLUCTUATING UP AND DOWN. NEITHER THE SPEEDOMETER NOR THE FUEL GAUGE DISPLAYED ACCURATE READINGS. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE AND THAT THE REPAIR WOULD BE THE CONTACT'S RESPONSIBILITY. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 02V070000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH). THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 86,000.

NHTSA ID

10240572

Incident

Aug 4, 2008

Mileage

86,000 mi

WHILE ON VACATION WE TOOK A TRIP. ON THE WAY HOME AT NIGHT ALL ELECTRICITY DEVICES STARTED TO DIE. I GOT OFF THE HIGHWAY THE VEHICLE DIED AND WOULDN'T START. I HAD IT TOWED HOME AND IT HASN'T STARTED SINCE. I TURN THE KEY AND GET NOTHING. WHEN I TURN THE KEY ON, THE PASSLOCK SYSTEM LIGHT IS LIT AND NEVER GOES OUT. THE BATTERY IS FULLY CHARGED AND I CAN START THE CAR IF I JUMP THE STARTER BUT NOT FROM THE KEY. ALL OTHER ELECTRICAL DEVICES WORK FINE. *JB

NHTSA ID

10203522

Incident

Aug 28, 2007

Mileage

98,000 mi

NHTSA RECALL 02-V-070-000: IF THE ENGINE FAILED TO START AND THE DRIVER WOULD HAVE TO HOLD THE KEY IN THE "START" POSITION FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD, HIGH CURRENTS FLOWS THROUGH THE IGNITION SWITCH AND SOMETIMES PRODUCE ENOUGH HEAT TO MELT INTERNAL SWITCH PARTS. AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED FOR THE RECALL, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED ONGOING PROBLEMS WITH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM BURNING FOUR STARTERS. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS RUNNING WITHOUT A WARRANTY. *AK *SCC (THIS DOCUMENT IS AN ADD TO) *JB

NHTSA ID

10040337

Incident

Sep 23, 2003

THIS PROBLEM IS HAPPENING MORE FREQUENTLY NOW I CAN GO OUT TO THE CAR AND IT WON'T START. I CAN WAIT A FEW HOURS OR SO AND IT WILL START RIGHT UP. THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED I HAD IT TOWED TO THE MECHANIC, THE DAY IT WAS TOWED IN IT WOULDN'T START FOR HIM EITHER. THE NEXT DAY AND THE DAYS FOLLOWING THAT IT FIRED UP EACH AND EVERY TIME HE KEPT IT FROM MON-FRI, HE COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. HE DID THE DIAGNOSTIC TEST IT SHOWED NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. I CALLED TWO BUICK DEALERS, THEY TOLD ME IF THE CAR DOESN'T BREAK DOWN AND STAY BROKEN DOWN THEY CAN'T TELL ME WHATS WRONG BECAUSE THE PROBLEM IS TOO INTERMITTENT. BEFORE ALL THIS STARTED THAT ETS OFF LIGHT WAS COMING ON AND STAYING ON AND THE CAR WOULD STALL OUT ON ME, NOW ITS NOT DOING THAT ANYMORE, BUT I NOTICED SOMETHING WHEN I'M PUTTING THE CAR INTO REVERSE FROM PARK I NOTICED THAT THE ETS OFF LIGHT BLINKS. PLEASE HELP ME IF YOU CAN, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. AND SOMETIMES IT STAYS ON. THE FUEL PUMP SEEMS TO BE WORKING. I HAVE HAD IT LOOKED AT TWICE AND NO ONE CAN FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT.

NHTSA ID

10070839

Incident

Sep 15, 2003

Mileage

95,280 mi

NHTSA RECALL 02 V 070 000 CONCERNING IGNITION SWITCH: RECALL REPAIRS WERE DONE, CAUSING INTERMITTENT STALLING / STARTING PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM WAS NOT OCCURRING UNTIL REPAIRS WERE DONE AT STEVE SCHMITT MOTOR CO. IN GREENSVILLE, IL; PHONE# 618/664-2811. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

NHTSA ID

8018307

Incident

Aug 14, 2002

NHTSA RECALL01 V 070 000/MANUFACTURER'S RECALL 02998 CONCERNING IGNITION SWITCH: DEALER: SALE AUTO MALL IN KINSTON, NC. PHONE# 252/522-3611 REFUSED TO HONOR RECALL UNTIL CONSUMER AGREED TO PAY FOR IGNITION SWITCH REPLACEMENT. MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

NHTSA ID

8016896

Incident

Aug 20, 2002

HORN PAD SHORTED OUT CAUSING THE HORN TO BE INOPERABLE, CONSUMER HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM FIXED PREVIOUSLY UNDER WARRANTY BUT PROBLEM REOCCURED. *AK *NLM

NHTSA ID

8016722

Incident

Oct 2, 1998

CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL 02V070000 ON IGNITION SWITCH, AND WAITED 1 MONTH FOR REMEDY APPOINTMENT. VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BY DEALER. ABOUT 2 WEEKS LATER, WARNING ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON DASHBOARD. VEHICLE WAS CHECKED AGAIN BY DEALER, WHO DETERMINED THAT IGNITION SWITCH WAS BAD. CONSUMER VERY CONCERNED ABOUT POSSIBILITY OF FIRE. *AK

NHTSA ID

8015439

Incident

Jul 24, 2002

VEHICLE HAD NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN NUMBER 02V070000 PERFORMED BY THE DEALER, SAM TAYLOR BUICK CADILLAC, ON 9&10 MAY 2002. SINCE THIS TIME THE VEHICLES' ENGINE FREQUENTLY SHUTS OFF IMMEDIATELY AFTER STARTING. IN EACH SITUATION THE CAR WILL IMMEDIATELY RESTART AND SHUT-OFF. THIS ACTION HAS REPEATED UP TO TWENTY FIVE TIMES WITH THE SAME RESULTS. THE VEHICLE ALSO DISPLAYS A CONSTANT THEFT SYSTEM LIGHT (LOCATED ON DASH PANEL) WHEN THE VEHICLE FAILS TO CONTINUE RUNNING. PLEASE NOTE THAT THE DEALER STATED THIS VEHICLE DID NOT HAVE A THEFT DETERRANT SYSTEM WHEN I PURCHASED IT. ONLY A RADIO THEFT DETERRANT SYSTEM. I ALSO DO NOT HAVE THE CONTROLLER TO REMOTELY LOCK/UNLOCK MY DOORS, WHICH IS PART OF THE THEFT SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE CAN ONLY BE STARTED IN PARK OR NEUTRAL SO THE GEAR POSITION SWITCH IS GOOD. FURTHERMORE, THE BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR/CHARGING SYSTEM ARE GOOD. SEAT BELT INTERLOCKS DO NOT EFFECT ABILITY TO START OR REMAIN RUNNING. THIS PROBLEM NEVER OCURRED UNTIL THE RECALL WAS PERFORMED. PROBLEM CLEARS OVERNIGHT AND REOCURRS AFTER ENGINE IS WARM. IGNITION SWITCH, BATTERY, ALTERNATOR AND STARTER CONNECTIONS ARE GOOD WITHOUT ANY CORROSION. VEHICLE IS AT THE DEALERS NOW. THEY SUSPECT THEFT MODULE MAY BE BAD. THEY HAVE HAD THE CAR FOUR WORKING DAYS SO FAR. A SIMILAIR PROBLEM WAS NOTED IN CUSTOMER COMPLAINT NUMBER ODI ID 709641, BUT THIS OCURRED PROIR TO THE RECALL CAMPAIGN.HAS THIS PROBLEM BEEN REPORTED BEFORE?*AK

NHTSA ID

764533

Incident

May 11, 2002

THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE WAS WET. THE DEALERS DIAGNOSIS INDICATED THE SDM HAD FAILED. THE AIR BAG MODULE DEPLOYED SUDDENLY DURING NORMAL DIAGNOSTIC PROCEDURES BECAUSE THE SDM WAS WET AND DAMAGED AND SHORTED OUT. *YH

NHTSA ID

566221

Incident

Apr 10, 2002

AT 28,000 MILES VEHICLE HAD AN INTERMITTENT RESTARTING PROBLEM. VEHICLE BEEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP ON TWO OCCASIONS, AND AT A DEALER SHOP ON TWO OCCASIONS, AND BOTH WERE UNABLE TO LOCATE CAUSE OF PROBLEM. *AK THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START SEVERAL TIMES. DEALER REPLACED THE ALTERNATOR, FUEL SYSTEM BUT DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE COMPUTER AND CLUSTER ARE NOW BEING REPAIRED AS A CAUSE OF STALLING. INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET IS LEAKING. *YH

NHTSA ID

878799

Incident

Aug 14, 2000

WHENEVER DRIVING ABS BRAKE LIGHT WOULD COME ON. RADIO WOULD FAIL TO WORK AFTER TURNING IT ON. BEEN TO DEALER & INFORMED BY MECHANIC THAT PROBLEM WAS ELECTRICAL WIRING. WOULD NEED TO BREAK DOWN WIRE COMPONENT TO LOCATE THE PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID

876011

SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR 01/17/97, I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS: EMERGENCHY/PARKING BRAKE POPS OUT WHEN PARKING THE CAR AND PUTTING PARKING BRAKE ON, BRAKES FAIL TO PERFORM PROPERLY AND BRAKE PADS WEAR DOWN EXCESSIVLY, DASH BOARD (CHECK ENGINE, ABS, ETS, SEAT BELT LIGHT BLINKS WHEN WEARING AND DOESNT BLINK WHEN NOT WEARING OCCASSIONALLY, THEFT SYSTEM LIGHT COMES ON BUT I DO NOT HAVE A THEFT SYSTEM)AND DOME LIGHTS COME ON SPARATICALLY, SOMETIMES THE DOME LIGHT COMES ON WHEN CAR OF OFF AND NO ONE NEAR CAR, RECALL WAS PERFORMED SINCE THAN IT ONLY HAPPENS ABOUT HALF AS MUCH. 5 DAYS AFTER PURCHASING CAR THE KEY WAS STUCK IN IGNITION WOULD NOT TURN OR COME OUT, CALLED BUICK THEY TOLD ME TO JIGGLE THE STEERING AND MANUALLY PUSH THE CAR BACK AND FORTH THAN TRY IT, RECENTLY WHEN IT HAPPENED WE TRIED FOR 3 HOURS AND THEY SUGGESTED, AS I QUOTE GM ROAD SIDE ASSISTANCE FOR US "TO POUND ON THE KEY ABOUT 20 TIMES LIKE YOU WERE POUNDING A NAIL WITH A HAMMER" WE WERE STUCK 50 MILES FROM HOME AND HAD TO HAVE CAR TOWED TO NEAREST DEALER. ON THE ELECTRICAL SOMETIMES THE CLOCK AND RADIO STATIONS WILL RESET WITHOUT BATTERY TOUCHED OR ANYTHING ELSE TOUCHED, WINDOW MOTORS GO BAD, WHILE UNDER WARRANTY DEALER REPLACED INSIDE DRIVERS SIDE MIRROR BEZEL (ONLY THE INSIDE PLASTIC TRIANGLE PART) CAUSE IT WAS COMING OFF, THE WORK ORDER SHOWS NEW PART PUT IN BUT THEY JUST STUCK A BUNCH OF EPOXY IN IT AND STUCK THE OLD ONE BACK ON. WHEN COMPLAINING CONSTANTLY TO THE SERVICE MGR ITS USUALLY "YOU HAVE A BAD BATTERY" "A FUSE" "MODULE" AT ONE TIME THEY CHANGED THE ALARM MODULE TWICE WITHIN A MATTER OF 4 - 6 MONTHS LEADING ME TO BELIEVE THAT BECAUSE LIGHTS ARE NOT ON ALL THE TIME, IT HAPPENS SPARATICALLY THAT THEY ARE JUST REPLACING SIMPLE PARTS TO SHOW THEY REPAIRED PROBLEM, SALES MANAGER SAID FUSES AND MODULES ARE COMMONLY BEING REPLACED. TWICE WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 35 MPR, ENGINE TURNED OFF AND ALL LIGHTS CAME ON, STEARING LOCKED. I HEAR CLICKING AND/OR RUBBING SOUNDS COMING FROM FRONT WHLEFT S

NHTSA ID

709641

Incident

May 9, 1998

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE STALLS, IN FOR REPAIRS, CHANGED ALL PARTS, VEHICLE STILL CONTINUES TO STALL DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL SHORT. *AK

NHTSA ID

809430

Incident

Jan 10, 1997

VEHICLE EXPERIENCES INTERMITTENT SURGING; ALSO, REAR WINDSHIELD GASKET/HORN/MIRROR CONTROL/TRANSMISSION/EMERGENCY BRAKE RELEASE FAILED. *AK

NHTSA ID

511782

Incident

Nov 10, 1996